TEMPE, AZ — Angels superstar slugger Mike Trout has some very strong words in the wake of the Astros cheating scandal on Monday during Spring Training.
“It’s sad for baseball,” Trout said. “It’s tough. They cheated. I don’t agree with the punishments, the players not getting anything. It was a player-driven thing. It sucks, too, because guys’ careers have been affected. A lot of people lost jobs. It was tough.
“Me going up to the plate knowing what was coming? It would be fun up there. A lot of guys lost respect for some of the guys.”
Like many players, Trout is calling for a stiffer punishment for the Astros cheating, and wants Commissioner Rob Manfred to send a stronger message to clubs who intend or think about cheating the game in the future.
Trout recognized that there was some punishment as the Astros GM Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch were fired. However that is simply not enough for players like Trout who have faced the Astros many times throughout the seasons.
“I didn’t know it wasn’t until this stuff came out, and then you realize when we played at them at (Houston) or whatever, they were hitting a lot of balls. They’ve got a lot of great players over there for sure, but it was something different.”
Regardless of how many players feel, Manfred is not changing or altering his punishment of the Astros team anytime soon. Although the players recently apologized for the actions int he matter, Trout and others aren’t buying it and will be on the lookout more so this season as the Angels open up at home on April 3 against the Astros at Angel Stadium.
